WOW! I had no idea it was THAT bad! Check out this story from SeattlePi’s Kery Murakami. THIS IS WAR!!! or, at least cause to shake your fist and yell “Piece a CRAAAAP!”.
How bad’s parking gotten in some parts of the city? Ask a scooter owner.
Three times since moving to “polite” Seattle eight months ago, Michael O’Neill has stepped out of his Capitol Hill condo to discover that someone’s moved his Vespa so he or she could steal his parking spot.
The first time it happened, O’Neill had parked the scooter legally, next to an alley. “They dragged it right into the red zone,” he said.
Another desperate motorist coveted his spot so much he dragged the 250-pound Vespa even farther — leaving it blocking the alley. “I’m sure if it was Dumpster day, I would have gotten a ticket,” the Microsoft engineer said.
Stories like that are unfolding regularly in parking-starved neighborhoods, scooter owners say — and the outlook isn’t good.
It’s happened several times to Victor Voris, owner of the Seattle Vespa dealership. “I’ve had mine turned, pushed out of the way, put on the sidewalk,” he said.
One time, his scooter was knocked down so hard, it caused $1,000 in damage.
“They think they own the world,” Voris said of spot-stealing motorists.
To scooter owners, it’s a sign of how difficult it is to park in an ever-more-crowded city. Competition for street parking is intensifying, with city officials trying to limit free parking to discourage people from driving cars. Over the last three years, the city has begun charging fees on 1,521 parking spaces, a 16 percent increase.
You should click on the title link and read the rest of the story. In it, one lady says as a counter point that there was a scooter parked in such a way that it took up THREE parking spaces. I can’t really see HOW, unless she meant bicycle parking spaces… or maybe the scooter was a raked out Lammy chopper or something.
16. July 2007 at 10:57 pm
How easy is it to move a scooter with a fork lock engaged? I mean, sure, maybe I could muscle a little 50cc by scootching it around on the back wheel. But a Vespa? Isn’t the dry weight on a 150cc Vespa something like 225 pounds?
In any case, seems like it would be easy to solve by putting a lock through the back wheel, making the scooter un-rollable.
Rick R.
16. July 2007 at 11:20 pm
If you are even semi-determined you lift the scoot by forks (is that like short hairs, forgive me for that), :)) and tool the thing around by the rear wheel only. It’s like, there is no threat big enough to stop that sort of persistence to steal your spot. This can only get worse in some places. Seems like maybe this led some of the Dutch to toss scoots in watery places or others to find ways of “nicking” the scoot to another location. Good thing there is no shortage of parking around here!!!
17. July 2007 at 4:28 am
Maybe the parking brake would help?
17. July 2007 at 10:30 am
Hey been a fan of your blog for quite some time and have now finally got round to setting my own blog up. It’s very new and I would really appreciate any feedback you could give me.
You can check out the first few posts at http://modvespa.com
Thank you
Danny (ModVespa.com)
17. July 2007 at 11:47 am
I have actually had my HD 883 (at 550 + lbs) moved as well. With the fork lock engaged! And what I would call rural West Texas, no less.
Seems that the red-necks (had to be more than one of them) decided that although I had parked legally in front of a car that eventually left, I didn’t leave enough room for their long-bed, extended cab pickup. So they proceeded to drag my bike about six feet.
I often wonder what would happen if , upon witnessing someone move a scooter or bike we waited until they left. Then proceeded to move their vehicle. I am guessing they would think it very appropriate to call the local authorities immediately upon discovery!
17. July 2007 at 1:11 pm
If you have a metal-body scooter, there’s gotta be a way to hook a battery to the bike so you shock the jerks dragging scoots into traffic …
17. July 2007 at 3:10 pm
Or maybe one of those flame thrower devices that they got in South Africa…
18. July 2007 at 12:46 am
The scary part is that if someone is determined enough to move your scooter, it only takes someone slightly more determined to steal it. We need more parking spaces with solid, immobile objects within convenient reach!
14. August 2007 at 1:34 pm
I just got a scooter two weeks ago and a motorist spat juice into my face. Lucky I didnt have an accident but I did get a shock.
14. August 2007 at 2:31 pm
WHAT?!
In what city do you live?
I imagine you started it. Giving him the finger and sayin’ stuff like “You wanna race, you pussy!?” and “Bring it on bitch!” Right? Is that how it happened?